Façades
by SpiderxxChick
Summary: "The killer sighed softly, chastising himself for getting distracted once again, and flicked out his hidden blade.  He needed to take care of this nuisance before he could get anything else done..."


Author's Note: Hi readers! Here's my usual note: I'm cool with constructive criticism, but an 'OMG lawl ur story sucked ballz' will just get you lots of spam to your inbox. :) Grammar/ spelling correcting is cool since I'm a proofreading nazi. Fanfiction is the anti-indent sadly, so if anyone knows how to get tab to work, that would be awesome. Rated T for L/ V/ B. Enjoy!

The assassin stood frozen on the rooftop, hidden from the guard's line of site by a small chimney he had just slipped behind. He had been following the man for nearly an hour and by now, he knew very well where the man was going. The guard had made the same turns, walked the same paths that the assassin walked daily on his way back from the market. He had been persistently hounding the assassin for the last week and had shown no signs of relent. He needed to be silenced before he shared his suspicions with his brethren.

One slip, one paltry mistake had cost the assassin his privacy. He hadn't checked well enough for followers as he had returned home from the last meeting of the order, and now he was paying for his carelessness in sleepless nights and lost time.

"You _pezzo di cretino_! " He scolded himself, "This very well could have been avoided had you not had so many things on your mind..."

The killer sighed softly, chastising himself for getting distracted once again, and flicked out his hidden blade. He needed to take care of this nuisance before he could get anything else done. He quietly ducked out from behind the chimney and strode forward to the beams between the rooftops, edging across them with ease. Getting a running start, he leapt up to the ledge above him, then pulled himself up into a crouch. He watched silently as the guard walked up to his door and began his maddening pounding.

"Open up, _pezzo di merda!_ I know you're in there!"

The assassin smirked as he dropped down from his perch and crept up slowly behind the man. Waiting until he was only a hair's breadth away he lunged, simultaneously clamping his hand over the guard's mouth and pressing his blade to the throat.

"You have been pestering me for far too long, you nosy little _bastardo_," he hissed into the man's ear. "I have more than enough to worry about as it is, I don't need some Templar rat poking his filth-ridden nose into my business."

The guard trembled and struggled fruitlessly against the assassin's grip, muttering something incomprehensible against his crimson gloves.

"You will bother this city no more, cretin. _Requiescat en pace._"

With that he drew his blade across the man's neck, knowing exactly which veins he was slicing, which muscles were bisected by the dagger's edge. The warmth of the man's blood spread into the fingertips of his glove as he grabbed the guard by his collar then, unlocking the door with his other hand, yanked him inside. The assassin pulled off his cloak, hanging it on the coat-rack near the door, then hid his many blades and daggers in the corner cabinet and put his blood-stained gloves in the basin to soak. Walking back to the guard, he began to drag him into the backroom getting only a few meters before deciding something was off. He paused for a bit, and smiled before returning to the rack to grab his signature beret and put it on, adjusting it in the small mirror as he walked back to the body. Just as he picked up the man's collar again, he heard footsteps descending the stairs behind him. The assassin stood slowly, letting go of the man's body and rose to greet his visitor.

"Ezio! So good to see you, as always."

Leonardo pulled his visitor into a warm hug, smiling genuinely as he did so.

"Leonardo, my friend!" The younger man responded, pausing only slightly when he saw the corpse. " More donations for research?"

Leonardo faked a lighthearted laugh.

"Yes actually, the Medici are very eager to learn about the inner workings of the body as of late... and I have been the only one they trust enough to provide. So, how may I be of service?"

Ezio laughed and clapped his hand on his friend's shoulder, "Nothing today, just wanted to see how you were doing. You seem...tense lately."

Leonardo smiled, glancing at the guard's body. "I have a feeling that a lot of that stress has just been lifted. So other than that and my usual procrastination, I am very well, thank you."

He resumed his trek to the backroom, hoping Ezio either didn't notice the guard's blood-stained mail or simply didn't think it odd enough to comment.

"Would you like some help, Leonardo? I could grab the feet if you would like."

The artist paused, considering how many times he had helped Ezio hide his targets in his medical research closet. The sheer irony was overwhelmingly funny.

"Um... if you could," he responded,smiling and moving over to give Ezio room.

Together they dragged the man into the backroom, neither one saying a word until Leonardo turned the man over.

"Leo-Leonardo, is that a guard? And that's – that's a fresh kill! What - "

"Relax, _amico mio_. You are not the only assassin that I help around here," he interrupted.

Ezio sighed in relief. "I thought for a second that there was something you weren't telling me! Ha! How outlandish! You? An assassin?" Ezio laughed heartily for a few moments while Leonardo gazed rather too intensely at the portrait he had yet to finish.

The inventor cleared his throat markedly after a few moments of being ridiculed by his friend's laughter. "Well, if you would like to stay, Ezio you are welcome, but I have some work that I must attend to." He looked pointedly at the unfinished paintings, sculptures and drawings before looking back at Ezio.

Ezio smiled and dried his eyes with his sleeve before turning to head out. " I won't keep you, Leonardo... I – I know you have many more targets to take care of! "

"Yes...hilarious..." Leonardo muttered, grabbing a few paintbrushes from a drawer before slamming it shut and walking over to his neglected artwork. Ezio was a friend, the best Leonardo had no doubt, but he could grate on the nerves with his ignorance every now and then.

Ezio cheerfully resumed his maniacal laughter as the door shut behind him, completely failing to notice the thump of the carefully thrown dagger as it hit the door frame his head had formerly occupied.

"Were you not such a good friend Ezio, I would have thrown that dagger a little sooner," the artist spoke under his breath. This time, it was Leonardo's turn to laugh.


End file.
